6-4-07 - On the one month anniversary after being devastated by an F-5 tornado, Greensburg marked an important milestone on Monday, June 4, with the reopening of U.S. 54 Highway through the heart of the city.

The checkpoints on the east and west edge of Greensburg were removed by the Kansas Highway Patrol shortly after noon Monday, allowing traffic to proceed on U.S. 54 for the first time since the closing of the highway following the May 4 tornado disaster.

Barriers, restricting access to the damaged residential and business sections of Greensburg, have been placed along the highway. Debris removal efforts remain ongoing in the city.

"The reopening of U.S. 54 is important both to Greensburg and highway travelers. It shows that we have made good progress in removing storm damage within our community and reopening some businesses and county offices," Kiowa County Emergency Manager Ray Stegman said Monday. "We are on the path to recovery, but we still face a long road to go."

Recovery has been a team effort across Kansas. In the first month since the tornado, nearly 600 missions have been tasked to assist Greensburg with personnel and equipment from local and state agencies from throughout Kansas, including the National Guard. The Kansas Guard presence increased to more than 500 troops by May 9, then troops and equipment were gradually withdrawn as other resources became available to assist the community. Currently, approximately 40 troops are continuing to assist with debris removal work.

"The community of Greensburg has made tremendous progress with the help of Kansans from all around the state who have answered the call of duty and continue to do so in a variety of roles, including National Guard, government workers, private contractors/companies and volunteers," said Maj. Gen. Tod Bunting, Kansas adjutant general and director of Kansas Division of Emergency Management.

Gov. Kathleen Sebelius said, "The state will continue to provide whatever resources we can offer to the city to ensure the community gets back on its feet as soon as possible."

Those assisting in law enforcement, debris removal, inspections, and other recovery efforts have come from both large and small jurisdictions in Kansas.

"It proves that in time of an emergency or need, Kansans are always willing to assist their fellow Kansans. We remain a Kansas family of many helpful and concerned families," Stegman said.

He also praised agencies and departments of the State of Kansas and federal government for their past and continued efforts as Greensburg recovers from the disaster.

More than 75 federal government employees have been deployed in the past month to Greensburg. There are 286 FEMA employees at various locations throughout Kansas in support of the disaster declaration for severe storms, tornadoes and flooding between May 4-18.

"We truly have appreciated all the helping hands that have come to help Greensburg from all governments over the past month and into the future as our recovery and rebuilding efforts continue," Stegman said.

The curfew from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. remains in effect in Greensburg.

On Monday, ID badges were being made available for residents at the Volunteer Reception Center in Davis Park. The red, white, and blue badges are intended to provide residents with easier access to their property. Residents are asked to show some form of identification, such as a driver's license. The badges are not required by residents entering the city.

By mid-afternoon Monday, more than 250 residents have requested and received the identification badges.

Other highlights in the first month of recovery at Greensburg include:

· Workers have hauled 263,207 cubic yards of debris in 28,219 truck loads since the tornado. Debris removal is approximately 75 percent complete;

· Crews of the Environmental Protection Agency have picked up more than 34,011 household hazardous waste items;

· Approximately 10 percent of electrical service and roughly 50 percent of potable water service have been restored in the city;

· 4,480 volunteers from volunteer agencies have contributed 33,950 hours in clean-up and recovery efforts;

· More than 500 members from of the Kansas Army National Guard have been deployed to Greensburg in the past month.

· The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has set up double-wide office trailers for local government use. The offices of the Kiowa County Health Department and Extension Service were the first county departments to relocate into trailers on the west side of the Kiowa County Sheriff's Office in downtown Greensburg.

· FEMA staff and other federal personnel assigned to Greensburg will maintain an office in nearby double-wide trailers.

· Repairs to roof of the Kiowa County Courthouse have started. Repairs to the interior of the building, which suffered water damage from storms after the tornado, will get under way when the roof repairs are completed. The work on the courthouse is expected to take several months to complete.

· A handful of Greensburg businesses, mostly along U.S. 54, have reopened their doors since the tornado. Others are expected to follow in the weeks and months ahead with the reopening of the highway;

· Fifty-one Greensburg families are now living in FEMA travel trailers. Additional FEMA trailers will be provided to other displaced residents, if requested;

· The U.S. Postal Service has opened a temporary Greensburg Post Office in a trailer, located next to the damaged Post Office building, to provide mail service to returning residents; and,

· General transition of all recovery and rebuilding efforts to the City of Greensburg and Kiowa County governments is targeted to occur on or around July 1.